How can we improve brick and mortar stores? Well, despite editing the Econsultancy blog – a home for digital marketing, ecommerce and digital business types – I am certainly no campaigner for consumer-facing digital tech on the high street.

Off-the-shelf tech (no pun intended) has traditionally disappointed, whether it be the screen in the corner that nobody uses, beacons pushing messages that nobody wants, or another overly complex example with a user experience (UX) far inferior to our favourite smartphone tools.

Thankfully though, things are moving along quite nicely, largely because of the maturation of digital, a savvy public, and that recently rediscovered marketing mantra of focusing on the customer experience.

Ikea, as usual, is one of the retailers that seems to have hit the nail on the head, using consumer-facing digital tech in a sympathetic way in its new, small-format, inner city stores.

The flat-pack pioneer has always understood good design. I can name several examples from its traditional out-of-town stores off pat:

The liberal offering of little pencils and order forms to jot down product serial numbers and warehouse locations.

Ikea even managed to make great early use of the in-store touchscreen, beginning in the early noughties with loyalty card sign-ups, and increasingly seen alongside customisable products in the showroom (such as modular sofas and fitted kitchens).

On a recent trip to Ikea a beautifully shot video caught my attention. It was projected on a screen above a modular sofa and produced using stop motion. The sofa restlessly rearranged itself in many different configurations – expanding, extending, reclining, rotating etc.

The video artfully showcased the product’s versatility, and after watching it I could use a touchscreen configurator to customise my own version. Honestly, I actually engaged with the tech for two to three minutes.

Back to those new, small-scale city stores then. More than 20 of them have opened since 2015 in Europe, Canada, China and Japan, with each covering around 5% of the floor space of a typical out-of-town store. The stores are designed to attract city dwellers who may have neither the vehicle nor the inclination to visit out-of-town stores (where footfall has remained static for the last five years).

These new stores still include mocked-up rooms, but crucially also tech that Ikea has quietly been perfecting and is now pretty robust. Customers can order a delivery or a click-and-collect from a touchscreen, as well as booking assembly via the recently acquired Taskrabbit. VR software helps to realise kitchen plans, something Ikea has piloted since 2016. The playful element of this software brings an undeniable element of fun to a customer interaction (ordering a kitchen) which, let’s face it, isn’t everybody’s idea of an enjoyable weekend activity. Even in-store coffee machines are examples, I would argue, of tech that significantly enhances the shopping experience.

Customers now want convenience online and in-store, with the ability to touch and feel products, but also to browse a full range and customise their own solutions, picking them up or having them delivered when it suits.

Incidentally, Ikea now has considerable chops in augmented reality content, too. Its Place AR app rolled out in September 2017 using Apple’s impressive ARKit and helps consumers place virtual but realistic furniture in their home, to get a feel for scale and fit. This is a powerful tool for enabling increased sales among loyal Ikea customers.

All this tech may still be an acquired taste, but it is sympathetic to the Ikea shopping experience. It speaks volumes that the smaller format stores are also very well staffed, with 20 or so personnel available to provide great customer service, with or without tech involved.

What’s my point here? Well, that customers now want convenience online and in-store, with the ability to touch and feel products, but also to browse a full range and customise their own solutions, picking them up or having them delivered when it suits. In-store tech has an integral part to play in this multichannel and flexible way of shopping, from ordering and logistics to inspirational content.

Retailers selling considered purchases are undoubtedly having to walk this path. This is particularly pertinent in automotive, where manufacturers are embracing ecommerce and small-format, tech-enhanced stores are popping up in shopping centres.

As trite as it may seem, this is a trend where customer convenience is prioritised ahead of retailer convenience. I, for one, will happily forgo a plate of meatballs in favour of a tech-enabled city-centre store.

Recommended

John Lewis, Maltesers and Tesco have all faced criticism for their decision to create more diverse advertising. However, marketers have a responsibility to ensure they are representing society, according to Ikea’s marketing boss.

Featured Recruiters

Latest from Marketing Week

British companies often struggle to scale abroad but ‘marketing intelligence’ firm MiQ is doing just that, using insights from digital campaign data to put marketing at the heart of brands’ strategies.

It takes courage and confidence to launch a legal battle, particularly when your challenger is one of the world’s largest sportswear firms, but the founder of niche activewear brand LNDR says she had no other choice.

NOT REGISTERED? IT'S FREE, QUICK AND EASY!

Already a member?

Sign in

Register and receive the best content from the only UK title 100% dedicated to serving marketers' needs.

We’ll ask you just a few questions about what you do and where you work. The more we know about our visitors, the better and more relevant content we can provide for them. And, yes, knowing our audience better helps us find commercial partners too. Don't worry, we won't share your information with other parties, unless you give us permission to do so.

THE BEST CONTENT

Our award winning editorial team (PPA Digital Brand of the Year) ask the big questions about the biggest issues on everything from strategy through to execution to help you navigate the fast moving modern marketing landscape.

THE BIGGEST ISSUES

From the opportunities and challenges of emerging technology to the need for greater effectiveness, from the challenge of measurement to building a marketing team fit for the future, we are your guide.

PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Information, inspiration and advice from the marketing world and beyond that will help you develop as a marketer and as a leader.

Type anything and hit “enter”

Sign in

Not registered yet?

Register and receive the best content from the only UK title 100% dedicated to serving marketers' needs.

We’ll ask you just a few questions about what you do and where you work. The more we know about our visitors, the better and more relevant content we can provide for them. And, yes, knowing our audience better helps us find commercial partners too. Don't worry, we won't share your information with other parties, unless you give us permission to do so.